Inherent PC Superiority?

[ForeverSlayer]

I just kind of wish the thread would float back towards what it's about: preferences. Not right or wrong preferences. Just what other people like. That should be good enough for people (in this thread).

Well you did start a thread about Inherent PC Superiority and this is where a lot of it comes from.

When a PC reads something in one of the core books they automatically assume they are entitled to it.

In our games we do stand out from the norm but we are in no way the best there is. Also very rarely do we fight gods in our higher level games and this is the way I like it. Gods should never ever have been given stats.

 

[Crazy Jerome]

My preference is that there be a lot of crazy magic in the campaign, that I set up situations that push the characters hard, with absolutely zero fudging, and that despite the previous, character death is rare.

How exactly that gets accomplished varies by system and setting. (I'm rather fond of campaigns that are strongly biased towards information gathering, for example.) But the list usually includes some way in which the world favors the player characters over the average population.

It's easier that way, for me. Time spent looking out for characters that are just like everyone else is time not spent making the players sweat over the fate of those characters.

 

[JamesonCourage]

My apologies for my part, JC.

RC

Thanks man. I really dislike asking people to stop talking about something. This is a discussion board, after all. I just think we have 3 or more other threads that are dealing with the same issue being discussed here. I really appreciate you understanding where I'm coming from. Honestly.

In our games we do stand out from the norm but we are in no way the best there is. Also very rarely do we fight gods in our higher level games and this is the way I like it. Gods should never ever have been given stats.

Sounds like fun. Thank you, too, for commenting on topic. I appreciate it

 

[RedTonic]

I don't mind gods having stats. I don't like them being treated like one more boss to loot in games I play--the key thing being 'in games I play.' If that's how other groups like it, more power to them.

I think Sepulchrave's handling of divinity is particularly interesting. Shilsen's high level play is also intriguing. One of the players in my upcoming campaign has the explicit goal of attaining some level of apotheosis for her ranger PC. (I suspect she will eventually multiclass to druid, along with our VoP monk.) If she can figure out a credible way of managing it in the setting I've provided, and accomplish the necessary goals, then I have no problem allowing it. That type of play is my speed.

 

[Raven Crowking]

Thanks man. I really dislike asking people to stop talking about something. This is a discussion board, after all. I just think we have 3 or more other threads that are dealing with the same issue being discussed here. I really appreciate you understanding where I'm coming from. Honestly.

You're absolutely welcome.

It's an interesting topic, and I hope it gets good mileage.


RC

 

[pemerton]

I don't mind gods having stats. I don't like them being treated like one more boss to loot in games I play--the key thing being 'in games I play.'

I'll go one further and say, I don't like any NPC being treated as "one more boss to loot".

But I do enjoy a game in which the PCs interact and conflict with gods. Besides the inherent fantasy factor, I also find it helps with some other goals in my game, like keeping the focus on the thematic content of the fantasy world, and away from more prosaic matters. (An analogy to superhero comics - if the Avengers or whomever aren't fighting Galactus, or Infinity, or some other god-like being, the question of why they're not working to end world poverty becomes far more pressing. I don't want my fantasy game to get too hung up on that more realworld question - and the gods, as well as demons, devils, etc, are good for providing an alternative focus of play.)

 

[Ourph]

I like the PCs to be mechanically superior to the average low-level NPC pig farmer or blacksmith, but I don't think that comes with any kind of "predestiny" or special protection. PCs die in my games all the time. Their mechanical superiority makes them fun game pieces to play with, but their in-game fate rests solely with the skill of the player (and sometimes the luck of the dice).

I find the premise that PCs have to be losers who just fell off the turnip cart in order to avoid the tag of "special snowflake" to be a little ludicrous. People who are below average in courage, strength, determination and chutzpah don't go treasure-hunting in crypts or rescue princesses for living. The PCs wouldn't be PCs if they weren't above-average in at least one area.

 

[Lanefan]

When a PC reads something in one of the core books they automatically assume they are entitled to it.

I'm going to assume you mean "When a *player* reads something..." above...either that, or your PCs are a hell of a lot more talented than mine, to be leafing through your core books in their spare time!

In our games we do stand out from the norm but we are in no way the best there is. Also very rarely do we fight gods in our higher level games and this is the way I like it. Gods should never ever have been given stats.

I don't mind gods having stats. Provided, of course, that said stats are, well, godlike; and along with abilities make any god tough enough to be utterly unassailable by mere mortals...

Lan-"I am not a god. Yet."-efan

 

[Jack Daniel]

I find the premise that PCs have to be losers who just fell off the turnip cart in order to avoid the tag of "special snowflake" to be a little ludicrous. People who are below average in courage, strength, determination and chutzpah don't go treasure-hunting in crypts or rescue princesses for living. The PCs wouldn't be PCs if they weren't above-average in at least one area.

I have to respectfully disagree with this. I rather *do* imagine that your typical 1st level PC (read, cowardly grave-robber) is just off the turnip cart. For a game where the PCs start out as above-average and even a little heroic... well, that's what 2nd level is for.

 

[GSHamster]

Personally, I think that most people are happiest with something in-between "Average" and "Superior".

A Stat distribution like "Strong, Slightly Above Average, Average, Average, Average, Slightly below Average" is something I think most people would be happy to play. I don't think anyone would consider that a superior character. It's a mostly average person who happens to be good at something.

Heck, most of us might even describe ourselves like that.

But mathematically, that's a better than average character.